Nydia M. Velazquez: “I enter into the Record the story of two Honduran brothers who were tortured and murdered by gang members in San Pedro…”

“I enter into the Record the story of two Honduran brothers who were tortured and murdered by gang members in San Pedro Sula, the murder capital of the world. Mr. Speaker, how we treat our children speaks to the character of our Nation. [From The New York Times, July 9, 2014] Fleeing Gangs, Children Head to U.S. Border (By Frances Robles) San Pedro Sula, Honduras--Anthony O. Castellanos disappeared from his gang-ridden neighborhood on the eastern edge of Honduras's most dangerous city, so his younger brother, Kenneth, hopped on his green bicycle to search for him, starting his hunt at a notorious gang hangout known as the ``crazy house.'' They were found within days of each other, both dead. Anthony, 13, and a friend had been shot in the head; Kenneth, 7, had been tortured and beaten with sticks and rocks. They were among seven children murdered in the La Pradera neighborhood of San Pedro Sula in April alone, part of a surge in gang violence that is claiming younger and younger victims. The killings are a major factor driving the recent wave of migration of Central American children to the United States, which has sent an unprecedented number of unaccompanied minors across the Texas border.…”